Tag: Section 8

The following poignant story is from a Brooklyn resident, Angela Graham. It was printed in the New York Daily News in the column “Voice of the People,” on Wednesday, August 17, 2016.

“I’ve been on the NYCHA Section 8 waiting list for eight years. On June 14, I finally received a voucher. I’ve been homeless since June 10, after we were all put out into the street by new owners who didn’t offer us one penny to move. There were so many violations our building was unlivable.

All landlords- and I mean all- don’t take Section 8 and don’t want it. Your own city makes you homeless. I believe they know nobody is taking it but they will not offer you public housing because they’re busy throwing people out there, too.

I saw that it’s a law that a landlord must not discriminate against people with government rent subsidies. My voucher is only for up to $1,425 rent, and guess what, people are only renting rooms at that price, and guess what, Section 8 isn’t paying for you to sleep in a room. So what am I to do?

This system was set up to fail. They’re running people out of their homes and have the nerve to demand you have income of 40 times the rent. Who the hell do they think we are Donald Trump? They price you out and use the famous words “Go down South.” What makes you think I have family down South?

It’s sad that NYCHA issues the vouchers knowing we will not find housing, so will lose the voucher and continue to live in the streets.”

A May 2016 New York Daily News article states: “Nearly 500 Section 8 tenants, whose vouchers were administered by NYCHA, had to move because their apartments failed inspection last year. Of those, 160 transferred to new apartments. But 335 couldn’t find new homes and lost their vouchers.”

According to New York City’s April 2016 Social Indicators Report: “NYCHA’s wait list for the Section 8 program has been closed since 2007, except for veterans who receive Section 8 through the Veteran’s Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. As of November 2015, there are over 148,000 families on the Section 8 wait list.”

“NYCHA’s wait list for the Section 8 program has been closed since 2007, except for veterans who receive Section 8 through the Veteran’s Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. As of November 2015, there are over 148,000 families on the Section 8 wait list.” -From, Social Indicators Report